Growing up in Maryland means your vocabulary was shaped by water, traffic, and very strong opinions about food. These phrases come out naturally—especially when someone questions the state’s identity or how things are done “back home.” If these sound familiar, there’s no doubt about it… Maryland raised you.
“It’s all about the Old Bay.”
Not a seasoning. A lifestyle.
“Put Old Bay on it.”
Applies to seafood, fries, chicken, corn, and honestly… everything.
“We’re going down the shore.”
Not the beach. Never the beach.
“You gotta pick the crabs yourself.”
Said proudly, like it’s a rite of passage—because it is.
“Traffic on the Beltway is terrible.”
A statement that is always…..